Eaton is a logical replacement with Martin out because they need someone who can kill penalties. More PK time for Niskanen, Engelland, and the rookies figures to make a crap PK even worse. PK might be the one area where Eaton can still contribute.

Got no problem with Eaton playing this evening. I just have an issue with certain players playing no matter what. You have Glass, Engo and Kennedy playing no matter what and you have Jeffrey being pulled if he has one bad game. Despres and Bortuzzo should be playing over Engelland every game at this point. Both are just better players.

npv708 wrote:I'm willing to give Eaton a chance before writing him off, but I know that's an unpopular thing to do on this board.

Yes. Me, too. I'm surprised at how few here seem to willing to entertain the notion that Mark Eaton could be just fine...that maybe he can help the team in ways we don't yet know--leadership, stability, calm presence...that he still has something positive to contribute...that maybe we've missed having him here.

He earned his ring in '09, and, with me, he's banked some benefit of the doubt to cash in today. Yes, I saw his play in NYI; I saw them (arguably justifiably) give up on him, too. But the day I form opinions on anything, in any context, for any reason, ever, based on anything the soon-to-be Brooklyn freakin' Islanders do is the day the state takes my imaginary kids away from me. Perhaps we should consider that RS and DB aren't ones for pity signings; they would simply tell him that "it's time to find his life's work."

Maybe we need the work ethic and desire of guys who love the game enough to play for free, as Eaton said he would.